Chapter 2 - The Green Bin
"Lily! Lily, answer me!" Sarah screamed, her voice cracking with pure terror.
On the porch, two women and an older man abruptly stopped their conversation. They turned, their faces freezing in shock at the sight of the mother sprinting wildly across the lawn.
Sarah’s eyes locked onto the large green trash bin sitting near the curb. The lid was slightly askew. It made no sense, but maternal instinct—a primal, unexplainable force—drove her toward it. She collided with the plastic bin, nearly knocking it over.
Desperation fueled her hands as she threw the lid open. She began to dig frantically, tearing through the refuse of a celebration. She tossed aside flattened cardboard boxes, handfuls of sticky paper plates, and crushed party favors.
Then, she saw it. A patch of soft pink fabric.
May you like
Sarah let out a breathless, gut-wrenching gasp. She pulled back a large piece of cardboard to reveal her beautiful, bright-eyed six-year-old daughter. But Lily’s eyes weren't open. She was lying at the bottom of the bin, her small body completely motionless.
"No. Lily! My darling!" Sarah sobbed, her legs giving out. she leaned over the edge of the hard plastic rim, her tears falling freely onto the trash. "Wake up! Please, sweetheart, wake up!"
